Media

To qualify this page it must first be noted that by Media the author is referring to the contemporary popular modern media which operates in many different formats and contexts but which are controlled by certain individuals or groups of people to espouse their views on the world.

Questions about the media's role in regard to cyber bullying?

  • How do they portrat cyber bullying as an issue?
  • How do they portray suicide as a consequence of cyber bullying?
  • Do they help the situation or make it worse?
  • Do they have genuine interest and care into the issue or is it a tool that the they use in order to sell their view, establish control or create confusion on the issue?
  • What actions does the media actualy take and what results from this?
  • Does the Media have any responsibilities or can they just be agents of choas?
  • Is the media informing the public about the issues correctly, responsibly and justly?

Nick's Answer?

The Media's primary concern is to sell their view in the form of rating, papers or whatever format the media is operating in. They seem to be on the topic when the publci is out raged but then when public interest wanes the stories slowly die and none of the promises nor pledges seem to be followed through. The Media has misinformed on the issue of cyber bullying and it often lays a campaign of blame against individuals, groups, an object (the internet) or an identity (the bullies) in order to appease public sentiments. However lacking the depth to really invetigate the issue and identify the inherrent social issues requiring attention and action it becomes easier to blame in the short term and forget in the long term. The Media has attempted to address suicide as a consequence of cyber bullying in order to address the taboo nature of suicide in contemporary society. This seems to be undertaken in an unethical framework in which issues or copycat behaviour are ignored in order to achieve discussion for the greater good. The media informs the general populace about cyber bullying and its possible consequences but it does os in a way that is misinforming and qhat could be percieved as dangerous. They have the best intention but without best practice undertaken under an ethical framework intention is fundamentally flawed. The Media is a doubled edged sword providing both positive and negatives and it is almost impossible to determine if they help the situation or make it worse.

How can this information, questions and other research be used to present engaging scenes in depicting the Media's role in Webbed?


Nick's idea

A Media Storm: Like a storm, the media rolls in and out of a situation or area sometimes relieving that area of drought but at times its severity and nature leave negative consequences. A storm builds over time eventually climaxing and then dissapaiting leaving behind its consequences; positive or negative. The media like the Three Witches in Macbeth can be that choatic force (like a storm) that indulges, corrupts, controls but ultimately leave the environment changed. The opening scene of Macbeth where the Three Witches meet on the battlefield discussing where and when they will meet Macbeth correlating strongly to the ideas I've just suggested.

What does this mean?: I see a number of scenes depicting the Media's role; these scenes are a continuation of each other where we see the building of the storm, its climax and finally it's disapation and consequences. I see these at the start of the piece, at its climax and at the end. I'm not sure if it's a linear progression or if there should be possibly more to the commentary on the Media. I definitely think the media controls to a large extent the information parents recieve on these issues and perhaps this should be explored


Scene 7, 15 & 18


Scene seven
‘Tragedy at Sunnybrook Sec…’ is projected.
Xav: It was my fault, I acted irrationally.
Lily: It was my fault, I should have believed him.
Chevy: It was my fault, I was confused.
Joel: It was my fault, I didn’t think it through.
Missy: It was my fault, I knew and did nothing.
All look at Missy.

Scene fifteen
Xav: It was my fault, I acted irrationally.
Lily: It was my fault, I should have believed him.
Chevy: It was my fault, I was confused.
Joel: It was my fault, I didn’t think it through.
Missy: It was my fault, I knew and did nothing.
All look at Missy and then look at Joel.
Joel disconnects his connector and slumps slightly as if lifeless. Missy, Chev, Lily and Xav begin to mourn and grieve.
Images of cyber bullying suicide victims are displayed on the screen with their names, age and birthday to deathday under their image.
  • Ryan Haligan
  • Alex Teka
  • Megan Meier
  • Joel Farve
Missy comes to the realisation that she had the power to change the unfolding events and prevent them from occurring in the way they did.
Missy: This can’t happen.
Lily, Chev, Joel and Xav all freeze and Missy steps forward. She step forward addressing the audience.
Missy: I have to ensure this doesn’t happen to Joel. This may not be my problem. I may not have done anything wrong but I haven’t done anything right either. I have to do something, its not going to be easy. People may end up hating me but I can’t let this happen.
Missy moves over to the Del key, stands on it and reconnects Joel; he awakens stepping off the Del key.

Scene eighteen
Xav turns the central backspace key to Ctrl.
Xav: Control, was this was my fault, I acted irrationally but did I have the ability to manage my anger and resolve my problems with words
Lily turns the stage right key to Ctrl.
Lily: Control, was this was my fault, should I have believed him and told an adult I trust about my situation
Chev turns the final backspace key to Ctrl.
Chevy: Control, was this was my fault, was I confused or did I have the ability to respect my friends trust
Joel: Was this was my fault, did I think it through and did I hve the ability to protect myself by keeping my passwords secret?
Missy: This may have been my fault but I did change the outcomes through my actions, I didn’t just stand there and watch it happen
All look towards the audience then look toward Joel. Joel stands up.
Joel: I’m logging off for awhile, be back later guys.
Joel removes his connection completely dropping git on the floor.
Xav: BBL.
Xav removes his connection completely dropping it on the floor.
Lily: BBL.
Lily removes his connection completely dropping it on the floor.
Chev: BBL.
Chev removes his connection completely dropping it on the floor.
Missy: BBL.
Missy removes his connection completely dropping it on the floor.
The windows shut down sound is played. Static is displayed on the screen and static sound is played over the top.